Method of and machine for shaping hat braid



May 2, 1933. A* KUCH METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR SHAPING HAT BRAID Filed March 50, 1931 nef/75% #melf/fad ITED lS'I'TS news2? ALBERT KOCH, OF WOHLEN', SWTZERLAFH), ASSIGNOR T0 JACOB ISLER.& CO. AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, OF WOHLEN, SWITZERLAND METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR SHAPING HAT IBR-AID Application led March 30, 1931, Serial No. 526,449, and in Switzerland September 29, 1930.

This invention relates to an improved method of and Vmachine for shaping braids, usually Iliade of straw, used in the manufacture of hats.

Such braids are placed on the market, for use by hat manufacturers, in comparatively narrow widths, the strands of the braid being closely woven, and special machines are provided for widening the braids before they are made up into hats, according to requirements. These machines consist substantially of two pairs of rollers, the lirst pair being feed rollers with a roughened surface, also called thrustV rollers, while the second pair l5 consists of a press roller and a heated drum.

The first pair of rollers pushes the braid between the second pair at a greater speed than the latter can take it in and thereby causes the braid to widen, in which operal 2O tion the strands of braid are caused to separate and this gives the braid simultaneously a certain ornamental configuration.

The main obj-ect of this invention now is to provide a means whereby the braid is not I only widened but also twisted, which increases the ornamental effect of the widened braid.

Another objectof the invention `is to provide a machine for performing the above U mentioned operation in a simple, effective,

and inexpensive manner.

Other objects of the invention consist in the particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts more specifically set companying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 afront view of a machine constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 3 is a detail elevational view of a part of the machine and Fig. 4 is an end view of the part shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail planl view of another part of the machine and Fig. 6 is a reverse Cross sectional view of the same.

Figs. 7 and 8 are, respectively, fragmentary side and front elevational views of still another part of the machine.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of a braid partly in its original narrow shape forth hereunder and illustrated in the acand partly in its widened and twisted shape.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, a main frame 10 carr1es,rotatably mounted therein, a V-pulley 11 adapted to be drivenu from any suitable source of power. A rearward projecting portion 11a of the pulley has a cam groove 11?) provided in it which co-acts with a pinion 12 adapted to travel therein, secured to one end of a lever 14 pivot-ally mounted on a pinion 13, and a connecting rod 1 5 secured to the other end of. the lever 14, to reciprocatea rocker arm 17 pivotally mounted to the frame 10, as shown at 16. The upper end of the rocker arm 17 is provided with a toothed segment or rack 17a which meshes with a pinion 18 carried by a guide socket 19`rotatably mounted in the frame 10. A set screw 20 co-acts with an annular groove 21 provided in. the guide p socket 19 to prevent longitudinal movement of the same. A rectangular vslot 22 is provided through the center of the guide socket 19 forthe purpose of inserting therein and guiding the comparatively narrow braid 23, as furnished in commerce. The rear end of the guide socket 19 is conically shaped so as to allow it to come into close proximity of the pair of thrust rollers 24 between which the braid 23 is fed through the slot in them Yguide socket 19. The distance of the thrust rollers 24 from each other may be regulated by a screw/.25 to allow the feeding through the thrust rollers of braid of different thicknesses.

By the rotation of the-pulley 11 and the cam l member 1105 associated therewith, the rocker arm 17 is caused to rotate the pinion 18 and thereby the guide socket 19 alternately in one direction and the other, i.`e` clockwise and counter-clockwise, by a halfturn each time,

er. The result-is shown in Fig. 9. Itwill be understood lthat the number of reciproeating` movements' in'y a giventime may be thebraid so thatV thereby the length of braid between its, twistedA portions can be `thus twisting the braid 28 as itis fed between the thrust rollers 24, from one side to the oth- -er so as to twist it at regular made greater or smaller', resulting in different shapes of the braid between twists, such as elliptical, oval or almost round.

The twisted but still narrow braid on leaving the thrust rollers 2li is thrust into a stationary guide consisting of an upper plate 3l and a lower plate and intermediate spacing strips 33 betweenthe same, which are so shaped that they form a passage 34 for the braid, the front part of which is narrow and gradually widens out. After the braid passes through this passage 3a, it is engaged between a press roller l35 and a heated drum 36 onwhich latter it is partly wound and then leaves the machineover an idler 37.

The' thrust rollers 24 are caused to rotate at a greater peripheral speed than the vpress roller 35 and thereby 'the braid is forced to widen out in the stationary guide passage The drum 36 is driven by friction only corresponding to the speed of the press roller 35. The upper thrust roller Qdiis rigidly mounted on a shaft 2G driven by a gear 27 from any suitable source of power. The shaft 26 also carries a gear Q8 meshing with a gear 29 carried by a countershaft 3() on the other end of which is mounted the lower thrust roller 24. i

It will be understood that V-pulleys of different sizes or with different cam grooves may be provided for the same machine to be alternately used with the same, in order to change the distance of the twisted portions of the braid from each other as previously described.

VIt is understood that while I have thus described a preferred form of embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the mechanical details shown and described, but may resort to such4 modifications and `alterations as come within the scope of the claims hereinto appended.

I claim:

l. A machine for shaping hat braid comx prising, in combination, two sets'of rollers rotating at different peripheral speeds and means for guiding hat braid between one pair of said rollers, said means alternately turning said braid from one 'side to the othspaced portions of same.

spaced relation to said thrust rollers, said thrust rollers being driven at a. greater peripheral speed than said press roller and drum, and a guide socket rotatably mounted in said frame, adapted to be rotated alternately clockwiseand counter-clockwise, and havingl lneans for guiding hat braid through it, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A machine for shaping hat braid comprising, in combination, a frame, a pair of thrust rollers for feeding hat braid, carried by said frame, a press roller and drum carried bysaid frame in spaced relation to said thrust rollers, said thrust rollers being driven at a greater peripheral speed than said press roller and drinn, a guide socket rotatably mounted in said frame,`means for preventing longitudinal movement of said guide socket and means for .rotating said guide socket so as to twist kthe hat braid fed through it. Y

5. A machine for shaping hat braid comprising, in combination, a frame, a pair of thrust rollers, carried by said frame, a press roller and drum carried by said frame in spaced relation to said thrust rollers, said thrust rollers being driven at a greater peripheral speed than said press roller and drum, a guide socket rotatably mounted in said frame, a pinion mounted on said guide socket, a rac-lr adapted to rotate said pinion alternately in one direct-ion and the other, and means for reciprocating said rack at predetermined intervals.

`6. A macll'ne for shaping hat braid comprising, in combination, feeding means for hat braid, guiding means for said hat braid adapted to twist it before it is engaged lby isaidfeeding means and means for Widening said hat braid after twisting, in one continuous operation.

, Intestimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

ALBERT KOCH;

2. A machine for shaping hat bra-id comprising, in combina-tion, two sets of rollers rotating at different peripheral speeds, means for guiding hat braid between the Yfirst set ofV said rollers, said means turning said braid alternately from one side to the other and means betweensaid two sets of rollers for widening said braid after twisting in a continuous operation.

"LOA machine for shaping hat braid comprising, in combination, a frame, aV pair of thrust rollers, carried by said frame, a press roller and drum carried by said frame in 

